My Month of Masking: Part 4
I'm using a sheet mask most evenings to prep my skin for a wedding at the end of the month.
I would usually apply some of the higher end Sulwhasoo serums samples in the run up to a big event, rather like how some people use sheet masks, so I thought, what if I add sheet masks too?
Link to Part 1
https://commercialpoemferments.blogspot.com/2025/06/my-month-of-masking.html
Link to Part 2
https://commercialpoemferments.blogspot.com/2025/06/my-month-of-masking-part-2.html
Link to Part 3
https://commercialpoemferments.blogspot.com/2025/06/to-part-1-httpscommercialpoemferments.html
In this post
Day 12
AM: Nothing
PM Mask: The Face Shop Real Nature Red Ginseng
The essence is pretty good on this mask, it didn't drip, even as I was unfolding it - only a few haven't dripped at all.
On looking in the packet for post-mask application, I see it's a gel texture. It makes getting it from the packet to my hand a very pleasant experience - the MBD was actually somewhat runny and difficult to pour out without making a massive mess.
So the texture of the essence was very nice but there was something else about it that pleased me: it looks exactly like the Sulwhasoo Timetreasure serums. It has exactly that shade of translucent caramel.
I don't think this biased my review but I knew I was pleasantly surprised when I looked at it and that why. The resemblance ends there, though!
I haven't read any ingredient lists of the mask but I glanced at this one and noticed it's got a few silicones so perhaps that contributes to the gel texture.
I know some people would feel this is cheap filler but it's a mask, I think the bulk of the ingredients are cheap fillers (that's a guess on no real evidence beyond the odd thing I've read and glances at ingredients lists).
However, for me, silicones are always a bonus.
I don't care if they're cheap or have temporary effects - effects are effects.
My other products can give me long term effects and temporary ones, whilst the others are working over the longer term, are welcome.
I'm the same with haircare - I hope that my Sooryehan hair products may be helping over time but really, temporary shiny hair and a boost to my hair dye is great! My hair is shiny! My dye lasts longer!
https://commercialpoemferments.blogspot.com/2024/11/sooryehan-black-fine-shampoo-and.html
So if silicones in skincare give me temporary plumping, I'm all for that.
I get why people get salty if it's a pricey product and it seems like it's mostly really cheap ingredients, though.
It takes a lot of work, a lot of trial and error, to find stuff that works and is worth the price.
Back to TFS: despite the essence texture being lovely, the fragrance is not good. It has the earthiness that you'd associate with ginseng but none of the rounded complexity of the higher end brands.
It's really quite a perfumey earthiness. That's it.
I will be honest and say I don't particularly love earthy-forward fragrances in any case.
The Sulwhasoo Concentrated Ginseng Serum is definitely earthiness-forward but it has other notes too, a hint of sweetness and spice. TFS is just perfumey flowerbed but without the flowers.
Maybe it's supposed to smell this way? The Sulwhasoo is a ginsengy smell (from what I've read) and that's much nicer so I figure TFS is just a cheap fragrance.
Once the mask has been on a while, it's not so noticeable, although as soon as I take the mask off, it smells stronger again.
I sort of prefer the hairspray notes of the MBD, which, like hairspray smells generally, evaporates quickly (although a circle of hell is reserved for L'Oréal Elnet hairspray. That stuff smells vile, it lingers and the extra strong is not an extra strong hold. But I digress).
I also used Sulwhasoo Ultimate S serum because I didn't have high hopes for the mask.
Furthermore, I messed up a bit because I was masking whilst watching TV (my partner was out so I felt I could mask wherever without bothering him with a freaky mask face), and I brought tubes of cream only with me because less faff.
I used: Hera Signia emulsion, Stratia Interface, Sooryehan The Black Exopert and Sooryehan Chunsam Sanghwang Regenerating Cream for eye cream (my usual until I use it up, because SJ is completely out of it).
Eh, whilst I did apply eye cream, skipping the Hera Signia cream PM is not a great choice. Whilst it wasn't as bad as the morning after the Glue Mask (aka SNP), either using this mask or not using the Hera (or both), left my eyebag area really quite creased.
I'm not sure if I should dock points because it feels like user error, as this kind of creasing does tend to happen when I don't use balm-like creams.
So I can't say for sure if the mask contributed or not. I'm apt to think that, given the good things about this mask as really quite good, it's not the fault of the mask.
On to the good: nice even skin tone AM. Not as good as MBD but this is a much more budget option.
My fine lines, ignoring the creasing of the eyebag, weren't worse and plumped up to some degree throughout the day. Although that may imply also that my usual routine was doing the plumping.
I wouldn't say this has had the best plumping effects so far, though, but, arguably, the creased eyebag possibly reduced some plumping and with the correct cream plus this mask would have plumped up the lines more than usual.
Nonetheless, my skin was really quite nice.
It was hot, humid, sweaty AF in the morning so I had to fan before applying sunscreen and I went with water resistant (Hera) because, whilst I wanted to try my new Suncut, I ran out of time (they were still in the outer packaging).
I left a gap between my routine and sunscreen but I was still really shiny.
However, I was in the office and therefore outside following my routine: the shiniess wore off to leave my skin with the right amount of dewiness. Huzzah!
Reapplying the CNP Sunquid later in the day didn't up the shine, my skin remained pleasantly dewy.
I still think pleasantly dewy is a bit too shiny but I know it actually looks better than slightly more matte. I just have to keep reminding myself that more matte looks less glowy and less healthy.
That being said, the velvet finish of the Super Luxe Routine is my preference, but those products are vastly more pricey than this mask!
This mask had a similar evening of tone effect as the Sulwhasoo, but slightly less pinky overall.
I mean, for the price? These results are really excellent.
But the fragrance. Ugh.
And, of course, I did use a Sulwhasoo serum too so that may have also affected the results.
MBD on Yesstyle are £16.39 for 5. I paid way more than that because I wanted them quick so ordered from a UK eBay seller (ended up being £12 including shipping for two, so more than the Biodance lol, worth it though!)
The Face Shop is £7.64 for 5 of the Red Ginseng.
Whilst SJ doesn't carry the MBD, The Face Shop is 81c usually and 41c right now.
Are the MBD twice as good, if you were buying from Yesstyle? Yes, probably.
But at 81c from SJ, that's £2.98 for 5.
Are the MBD five times as good?
A resounding no. Five times better is a lot more betterness.
And if we do the reverse calculation of the Super Luxe Routine and take cost into account, TFS would deserve a higher rating for being really good for the price. But just give it the standard rating and it is still a high score:
Fit: 3.8/5
Fussiness: 4/5
No dripping but the usual level of repositioning for a one piece mask
Hydration: 3.8/5
But this could be partly user error on my part for not applying the Hera cream.
Dry down: 3.9/5
Lots of fanning
Dewiness (AM): 4.5/5
Glowiness (AM): 4/5
Total: 4/5
RP: WRP
I mean, that's a high score for such a cheap mask and this is the very cheapest mask I've tried so far.
I really didn't think that this would be WRP but you just can't knock efficacy, especially for the price.
Also, I do have one other of these except I promised it to my hairdresser 😂
We had a wonderful conversation about masks and skincare generally. Very enjoyable :D
Day 13
AM Serum: Sulwhasoo Ultimate S
PM Mask: JM Solution Luminous S.O.S. Ringer Amino
So as I said, I caved and bought a box from Amazon.
This takes me up to enough masks to actually daily mask and is a total of 15 extra masks bought this month.
That really wasn't the point of this challenge but I've been seeing great effects and, as usual, I got totally carried away with the theme.
I do love a skincare theme. It itches my brain.
AB Muse alerted me to the fact that there's a hydrogel version of this one - which is in TWO PIECES!
AKA the Holy Grail of Mask Types and I have definitely read that hydrogels are noteworthy.
Personally, I don't know, my newbie-ness to masking may come through here.
I've read a lot of Fifty Shades of Snail and Snow White and the Asian Pear mask reviews without paying much attention to sheet mask material, in all honesty, I just wanted to know how hydrating each mask was and if it was still available!
Maybe that Biodance was hydrogel, it was certainly a very interesting jelly-like mask material.
Anyway, AB Muse's discovery of the hydrogel version sent me fully down the rabbit hole, as she aptly noted.
There are other mask flavours in the Ringer line and, most exciting, there's a toner. When AB Muse first gifted me the Ringer, I feel like mused (perhaps just in my head) that a toner version would be awesome.
https://commercialpoemferments.blogspot.com/2025/01/the-emergency-sheetmask.html
I found it for a good price and naturally immediately ordered it up: even if it's not great as a toner, it could hopefully do some good DIY masking.
I totally ordered it before properly reading about it and it's a water-like texture. Which is my least favourite toner texture, particularly in this instance where I was hoping it would be thick like the mask essence.
Can't have everything and if it's good for DIY masking, that will be excellent.
Also I got the Disney Collab, it has Mickey Mouse on it. Cute :)
Let's compare the Ringer to the Calendula:
The mask had a whole ton of essence, it absolutely did drip when I put it on. I did the Fifty Shades of Snail thing and basted my face with the extra essence
https://fiftyshadesofsnail.com/2016/03/17/lherboflore-ginseng-anti-aging-mask-quickie-review-sheet-masking-tip/
I decided to take measures to see if I could reduce the dripping.
I sort of scooped out some of the essence first and applied that then wiggled the mask back and forward in the packet to get some of the drips off (figuring that I wasn't missing out because I'd applied some essence already).
Next up was unfolding it a bit whilst it was still in the packet.
I have mixed feelings about this as a process, in that my logic was sound and the end result was no drips but it was pretty fiddly.
Plus whilst I didn't tear the mask, there was definitely risk of doing so.
I didn't baste whilst wearing the mask this time.
As usual, it's gappy over nose and the top of my nasolabial folds. Masks just don't fit in that area for me.
I think one of the reasons I don't like sheet masks is partly the drip, partly the way it fits and partly the lack of dry down
Yeah, same.
There was a slight ooze of essence under my chin but it didn't go anywhere - I left the mask on for 15 minutes and the ooziness didn't get any worse.
The JM Solutions is interesting, though, because it does dry down super well. I used Sooryehan The Black Serum after felt a bit wetter than usual but not super different. So I'd give this top marks for absorption.
So, this time I applied essence from the packet twice after removing the mask.
The essence itself is arguably stickier than the Sulwhasoo and MBD, the leftover on my hands, after applying a layer to my face, did not dry very well.
Dry down on my face, with fanning, was fine.
I didn't notice any specific issues with subsequent product application - or rather, I didn't write any notes about it so it obviously wasn't a burning issue.
I followed it up the Sooryehan The Black serum, Sulwhasoo Concentrated Ginseng serum and some moisturisers.
The next day my skin really did look extra nice!
The next day, I had relatively calmer skin AM (probs not as good as MBD, as good as TFS), fine lines relatively plumped, more than TFS.
Nice and healthy looking, good amount of AM dewiness pre-shower.
All this is actually excellent when you also consider that as I woke up super early, we're talking about 5 hours sleep and also no real dark circles to speak of.
Because I got up so early, it ended up being hours before I did my AM routine because I went back to bed for a (long) nap and my skin still felt fine. It was 7 hours after I'd usually do my routine and all was well with my skin.
Just to make life really spicy, I'm trying out my new sunscreen (one of them anyway): Kose Suncut Perfect UV Essence, 2024 formula.
I shouldn't really because I already have one monster spot but I'm hoping daily doses of The Ordinary 10% niacinamide will sort that out. It's done wonders for my chest acne (when I apply it regularly).
Products this AM, because it's hot here were aimed at hydration over moisturising:
- I'm From Honey serum (less than a pea)
- Hera Signia toner x2
- Hera Signia serum
- Sulwhasoo Concentrated Ginseng serum
- Hera Signia emulsion
- Suncut Perfect UV Essence
Yep, the Suncut is pretty dewy.
At first.
And then really, really not!
The next day my skin really did look extra nice!
It was a bit over-dewy shiny because I didn't reapply a mattifying sunscreen (as much as I love my CNP Sunquid, it really can't copy [sic] with damping down the dewinsss [sic] of my current routine, only Haruharu Airyfit or It's The Skin Sebum Zero AloeRice can do that).
[Clearly did not proofread that post!]
But: regardless of my preference for less dewy-shiny, my skin looked incredibly healthy - the glow (underneath the dewy-shiny) was properly maxed out.
AB Muse sent me two of these, I'll be saving the other for later in the month because despite my preference for the Ringer, I'm pretty impressed with this one!
Fit: 3.8/5
Fussiness: 3.9/5
Hydration: 5/5
Dry down: 4.5/5
Dewiness (AM): 4.5/5
Glowiness (AM): 4.7/5
Total: 4.4/5
And this is where the next day sunscreen matters because the dewiness was on point after I reapplied with CNP so I'm upping the score.
Sure it may be the mask but I know from subsequent days (I'm well behind in my reviews) that the Suncut can be mattifying for me.
Fit: 3.8/5
Fussiness: 3.9/5
Kinda wanted to up this now I know about unfolding them slightly in the packet but it's not the fault of prior masks that I hadn't worked it out before.
Hydration: 5/5
Dry down: 4.5/5
Dewiness (AM): 5/5
Glowiness (AM): 4.7/5
Total: 4.5/5
RP: HG
Scores so far
JM Solution Ringer: 4.5/5
(Super Luxe Routine: 3.8-4.5/5)
JM Solution Calendula: 4.4/5
My Beauty Diary: 4.2/5
Klairs: 4.13/5 Sulwhasoo: 4.1/5
Aestura: 4/5
The Face Shop (Red Ginseng): 4/5
Biodance: 3/5
Whoo toner pad: 2.75/5
3W Clinic: 2.67/5
SNP: 2.5/5
As the Ringer in the PM and the Suncut the following AM gives me perfect dewiness, so it absolutely deserves a higher mark than the previous JM.
I really didn't expect TFS to be so good!
Whilst I do - again, as per Part 3 - how much my increasing experience affects my ratings, the Ringer was the first sheet mask that really blew me away.
I am also trying to avoid that initial preference of the Ringer colouring my subsequent musings but there's only so much considering of the potential biases one brain can take.
The Ringer remains excellent.
Although I posted on the sub recently that the Sulwhasoo is probably the best all-rounder - and it probably is - the Ringer is my favourite.
I want hydration from a sheet mask and the Ringer is by far the best.
The price from Amazon is like £11 so it's still a lot more than TFS but the overall experience is better.
If you're on a real budget, get TFS.
If you can spend a bit more, get the Ringer.
I'd still argue that MBD is like a better experience and it did have great effects but I don't think it's worth twice the price of the Ringer.
The MBD is worth it if you want to try something that has been pretty viral.
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